Al has been instrumental in changing the lives of thousands of disabled people in the Pittsburgh area. His awareness and dedication started first hand, with his cousin Carrie, who had Down syndrome.

"When Carrie and I would go out to places, we’d go to a street fair, maybe a football game on Friday night," Al said. "I would be with Carrie and my other cousins, and there we were, and all of a sudden the other kids, some of them, were cruel. They made fun of Carrie, called her names. They made her cry or maybe even worse, they didn’t even acknowledge her as a human being."

That was the impetus for Al to become an advocate for anyone with a disability. Since 1973, he has worked tirelessly creating awareness and implementing programs for United Cerebral Palsy, and now his organization, CLASS – Community Living and Support Services.

Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly spelled Al Condeluci's last name. The post has been updated.